Like many others, I took advantage of Amazon.com's sale and ordered a Kindle Fire HD last week. When I got around to exploring the Amazon App Store, it didn't take long before running into malware...........

What you'll find is a lot of apps that are:
incompatible with your device
built to data mine your information
spam advertisements despite paying for the full/pro edition.
apps asking for too many permissions
apps that don't particularly match what is advertised.

I screen the apps I purchase, and the free app of the day has been quiet useful for getting almost all of the apps that I wanted for free. I love my kindle and feel as if I've got back what I invested into it. I'd imagine a new kindle fire owner would encounter problems if not properly informed. So look at the permissions before you buy, become familiar with app developers that employ such dirty tactics, and watch for future updates because they will change the permissions on you turning a once great app into a data mining whore that no longer performs it's original function. Example, you buy a game ... two updates later the permissions change drastically, and the game quality drops drastically (controls go to ****, graphics decline, advertisements get added to paid/pro versions).

We detect these pieces of malware as HEUR:Hoax.AndroidOS.FakeBapp.a and have been in contact with Amazon.com about this. The apps were previously available in Google Play as well, but had been removed at an earlier time.

Click to expand...

The traditional definition of malware:

malware

a computer program designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus

--Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition​

Click to expand...

From what is described, those applications don't fit the traditional definition of malware:

upon closer examination, it became clear the actual app doesn't do much of anything. It was very obviously put together quickly to make a buck.

IMO it's splitting hairs to worry about the traditional definition of malware when it comes to phones. And in the technology world, definitions need to be malleable anyway because of the rate of change.

Regardless of formal definitions, these apps do undesired and unauthorized things. There is no legitimate reason whatsoever for an Angry Birds game app (for instance) to require access to all of your contacts. If that game then uses your contacts to send out spam, then that is malicious.

From what is described, those applications don't fit the traditional definition of malware:

----
rich

Click to expand...

The dictionary can say whatever it wants, but that's a very outdated way to describe malware. Malware should be defined as any piece of software/code that does something malicious. If it does something, as Brandi said, unauthorized or even malicious without damage or disruption to a system, it's malware. In the case of the app mentioned in the article, the accurate term would be more along the lines of snake oil. It does absolutely nothing but make the developer cash.